


More Than

by boykingsammy



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Domestic Winchesters, Fluff, Gen, Retired Hunter Dean Winchester, Retired Hunter Sam Winchester, Sam Winchester and Dogs, Sam Winchester-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-24
Updated: 2016-12-24
Packaged: 2018-09-11 10:51:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8976706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boykingsammy/pseuds/boykingsammy
Summary: It was their seventh year living in Misty Hills, and their eighth holiday season there.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Winchesterprincessbride](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Winchesterprincessbride/gifts).



> Written for the Secret Santa 2016 Exchange hosted by Bitter Sam Girl Club on Tumblr.

Sam jogged into the almost deserted shop bringing in with him a gust of icy wind. He stuffed his hat in his thick jacket pocket, and cleaned off his boots on the sturdy mat that greeted him with a now discolored yet cheerful _Welcome_.

A sudden movement behind the counter startled Sam, but before he could make to check for the source, a giant cat landed onto the paper-strewn surface. The ball of fur gracefully pawed over rabies prevention leaflets, lost pet fliers and some especially colorful posters stating what responsible pet ownership is.

The cat sized Sam up while slowly making its way to him. Once it regarded Sam satisfactory, it perched itself on top of a laptop computer, and started meowing pitifully. The look in its eyes could put the animated movie version of _Puss in Boots_ to shame. Amused by the cat antics, Sam wasn't able to resist the hidden command and stroked its shiny fur until it purred as loudly as a subway train.

After a cursory glance that only revealed piles of pet food, and shelves filled with more accessories that even the most annoying pooch should not be subjected to, Sam decided to go looking for Dean in the back room.

It was their seventh year living in Misty Hills, and their eighth holiday season there. The townspeople's warmth, picturesque scenery, and the honest-to-god Holiday cheer that seemed to permeate everything, were probably what made them decide to retire from the hunting life there. The celebrations might not have held the same meaning to the brothers, and the excessive blitheness could be too much for them at times, but being surrounded by people and nature that had never been tarnished with the evils they had fought all their lives fully made it up for the insignificant discomfort.

Misty Hills was very particular in many ways. Even though their house was located in an isolated area by a tranquil lake miles away from the town center, Sam and Dean soon learned that there was no way to excuse themselves from taking part in the community activities. Miss Patty, the town’s first selectwoman of sorts, baked, cooked, and mothered people into submission.

What surprised the brothers most was that they actually didn’t mind. They had struggled a little at the beginning, of course. A life filled with catastrophes of literal biblical proportions, losing so many people they loved and being betrayed on a regular basis had rendered them suspicious and wary. In time, though, they learned that becoming part of the community came naturally to them. They knew mostly everybody’s names and lives stories, and they actually cared. Their particular set of skills might not have been required anymore, and they couldn’t be any more grateful for that, but they found that they were needed in other ways and helping people still felt good.

That’s how they ended up on a very chilly Christmas morning tending to the animals at the town’s pet shop come shelter while the regular volunteers were opening presents with their children.

“About time! What took you so long? I don’t know what I’m doing here, Sam!” Dean said through grinded teeth.

“Miss Patty ambushed me just outside the door. You’ll be happy to know there’s Christmas pie waiting for you in the car” said Sam relieving Dean from the wriggling puppy Dean had been trying to feed a bottle to and failing miserably. Sam swiftly positioned her in his arms and talked to the little dog sweetly. “Hey there, Inara. I see you are hungry this morning.” The little dog settled in and latched to the bottle.

“Christmas pie? I don’t know what that looks like but I’m sure it’ll taste awesome if Miss Patty made it. I'm telling you, Sammy. That woman knows how to bake a pie.” Admiration was evident in Dean’s voice. “If Mr. Patterson wasn’t in the way, I would have married her in a heartbeat. Seventy-eight years be dammed.” Sam gave a full belly laugh and shook his head. People said the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach. Well, his brother was living proof of that.

Sam had taken to slowly walking around the shelter with Inara in his arms when he was feeding her. All the while petting her soft jet black coat and speaking nonsense to her.  She was suckling the last of the formula, looking at him with those now-drooping brown eyes crowned by the characteristic rust colored markings of the Bernese mountain dog. He couldn’t help but falling a little bit more in love with her.

“Hey, Sam?” Dean’s voice startled him. Inara had long since finished her bottle and fallen asleep. Sam had still been holding her tight to his chest, deep in thought, and accidentally jostled the puppy a little. She furrowed a little closer and kept on sleeping, though. No harm done.

That’s when Sam noticed a piece of red ribbon picking out from under Inara’s belly. Curious, he tugged at the strip carefully. A smashed little bow and a rumpled golden card emerged. It read “Merry Christmas, Sam.” The message neatly printed in Dean’s handwriting.

Surprised, he looked at his brother the way he did when they were young boys and Dean was Sam’s invincible hero: his big brother who had the answer to every question, the one who gave him the last of the Lucky Charms and got him that one Thundercats t-shirt he had been in desperate need for. ‘Dean.’ he whispered the name with that same hero worship from back in the day clear in his voice.

“I’ve been watching you mooning over her since the first time you saw her. I kinda didn’t have a choice,” his brother said sheepishly.

“But you said you’d drawn the line at, and I quote, “two ugly-ass mutts running around the house.” What changed?”

“I don’t know. It’s just, no one else could take her in now. She’d be in the shelter for who knows how long, and I knew you’d be dropping by to keep her company most of the time anyway.’ He stroked a tiny floppy ear. ‘Plus, you already took in the others that happened to end up here. It just made sense.”

“Man, I only got you a pair of slippers. If I had known…” Sam managed to say a little chocked up. He looked at the little puppy fondly, heart bursting of love and contentedness. She was his now. He couldn’t believe he got to have that.

“Oooh! Are they the ones from Shirley’s shop?” Dean asked excitedly, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

“Well, yes. You weren’t very subtle last week when you pointed at them in the window and all but begged me for them, Dean.” Sam chuckles.

“I was just doing your holiday shopping easier for you, Sammy. That’s how awesome of a brother I am.”

“I’m pretty sure there was some drooling involved, Dean. Over a pair of slippers.”

“Don’t you dare dis the Manawan slippers, Sammy! Shirley said they are elegantly stylish while still offering comfort to tired feet.”

Inara picked that moment to sneeze herself awake. She looked at her surroundings as if she had no clue how she suddenly had come back to the waking world. Both brothers laughed at her puzzled face.

“Come on, Sammy.” he said patting his brother’s back. “I’ve already taken care of everything here. Let’s close up and go home. Can’t wait to try on my present. Oh, and you’d better keep the little mutt away from my Manawans. If she makes a chew toy out of them, I’ll take her ass back here faster than a rocket full of monkeys. Capeesh?” He says the last sentence looking directly into Inara’s eyes. She licks his nose in answer.

‘Yeah, yeah. No chewing on the grumpy old man’s footwear. She’s got it.” Sam said amused.

He fished around for a blanket to bundle up Inara in, but all the clean ones he found where almost see-through and the ones that could actually shelter her from the cold were positively filthy. It seemed the clever little pup had managed to escape her kennel at some point and had used them as her own version of a potty pad. He felt sorry for whoever was on laundry duty next. It wouldn’t be pretty.

Seeing he’d need something else to keep her warm on the way home, he carefully lowered the now wide awake puppy on the floor and let her roam around under a watchful eye. Her clumsy and hesitating steps were both endearing and a touch unsettling to Sam. “What if she steps into something she shouldn’t and hurts herself?” he thought. As soon as the idea entered his mind, he pushed it back and admonished himself. He refused to become a mother hen; that was more up Dean’s alley.

Inara was much younger than Sam’s other rescue dogs had been when he first got them, but she’d do fine without him hovering. The term helicopter parent came to his mind, and then wondered if there was a version of the same term for pet owners. The sudden urge to smack himself on the face at that thought was so strong his right hand made an abortive movement only thwarted by a strong will and a great dose of life preservation. Dean would make fun of him till the end of times if he saw that.

Tsking inwardly at himself, he removed his jacket. His sweater followed; a heavy woolen thing Miss Patty had insisted on knitting for him the first year they had moved in. “You boys wear plenty of layers but never something warm enough for our Misty Hills weather.” She had said, “we don’t want our new teachers to get down with something, do we?”

When the brothers had first shown an interest in settling down in Misty Hills, Miss Patty had subjected both to an extensive questioning. A couple of days later, she informed them that one of the town’s high school History teachers was about to retire and that she had already gotten Sam an interview as he would be a perfect addition to the school faculty. Sam had accepted in the spot. Teaching had always been one of the areas he could see himself working in so, that very same night he had his nose buried in papers and books on teaching methods and approaches, how to motivate teenage learners, and the syllabus for the levels he might have to cover. Two months later Sam had joined the academic staff.

Coincidentally, and not long after, there was an opening for a gym teacher at the elementary school, which Dean was the first to hear about. Although the thought had never crossed his mind, he found himself excited about the prospect. It was a fitting and enjoyable position. The kids were mostly cool, and the innocent flirting with the moms was too. Sam wasn’t surprised when his brother told him he had applied and got the job. His brother had always had a way with kids. Teaching was a truly fulfilling job for both of them, and the brothers were loved and respected by students and colleagues alike. They would not change it for anything in the world.

Another thing Sam would never give up, were his dogs. It wasn’t only because he got to indulge into something he couldn’t have as a child. It was something much deeper than that. He had always felt a connection with the creatures. He loved how they all have their distinctive personalities, and the fact that whether it was for fun or to lend an ear at soul bearing times, they would unfailingly be there for you. Dogs didn’t judge, they just loved, and Sam appreciated that more than anything else.

Sam collected the supplies he’d need for Inara until he made the next trip into town. He chose a huge cozy bed as pretty soon she’d grow into a huge fluffy girl. Some milk as well as age-appropriate solid food were necessary since she had been started weaning that very same week. He added tons of chew toys and teething products, he knew were essential if he wanted their furniture to go unscathed. A soft brush, and a brand new collar and leash found their way into the pile too. He rang himself up and put an order for a new ID tag with his and Dean’s phone numbers on it.

He put on his jacket again and quickly made a few trips to the Impala to stuff the supplies in the trunk. It was freezing outside, so he started the heating to ensure the car would be ready for the three of them. He knew wrapping Inara up in his sweater would be enough, but he didn’t want to take his chances. Out of curiosity, he had read that Bernese Mountain Dogs thrived in a snowy climate, so cold temperatures shouldn’t be a problem for her. “But she’s just a tiny puppy and…” – he thought – “and yes, I am a helicopter parent.” He sighed and, in spite of himself, bundled the ball of fur up before taking her to the car.

In the meantime, Dean had been checking on Bunny for the last time and, as usual, felt a great amount of contempt towards whoever had given the poor cat that name. “What had they been thinking? He’s a tough looking cat. He isn’t even a rabbit for Christ’s sake!” He muttered to himself. If he had a cat, he’d call it something cool like Jessy James or Han Solo. “I’m sorry your human didn’t get your level of awesome.’ he told Bunny.

“Hey, Sammy. Wait up!” Dean trotted after his brother. “How do you feel about cats?”

The closer the Impala got to the house, the louder Rosco vocalized his excitement at his humans’ return.

Sam could see the same picture he had seen every time he was back home for a few years now. Jupiter, a seven-year-old Rhodesian Ridgeback, sat at the window; the slight movement of his shoulders the only indication of the rhythmic thumping of his tail. Next to him was Rosco, true to his Australian Cattle Dog heritage, stood up his hind legs, front paws pressed to the glass and barking his happiness away like there was no tomorrow.

As soon as the front door opened, both dogs were there to greet them. Rosco eagerly offering his favorite ball to Sam so the customary game of fetch could start, and Jupiter patiently waiting for the loving pats he got on his flanks from both Sam and Dean when they made it back home.

Rosco would usually be content only after a few minutes of chasing the ball. That day, however, things were different. Even in his excited state, he could perceive the newcomer so the ball was quickly forgotten in favor of checking the strangely moving bundle in his human’s arms.

Sam kneeled on the carpet so he could be at both dogs’ eye level, and used what the dogs had learned to recognize as his _this-is-important-you-must-pay-attention_ tone of voice to say, “Guys, this is Inara. She’ll be part of our house from now on. I expect you to be on your best behavior and treat her like the lady she is. I know you won’t disappoint me.” He unwrapped the puppy and let them sniff her.

Rosco got bored of her quickly, and soon was ready to resume the game that had been interrupted. Inara just seemed to be too confused by his antics.

Jupiter’s behavior was an entirely different matter. It was probably because of his calmer disposition and his patience, but he stayed longer with the pup and allowed her to do her own sniffling. Inara grew a little bolder and moved from licking Jupiter’s chops to pawing at his ears. He just let her do as she pleased. Inara was in puppy heaven.

After a while, Jupiter grew tired and went to his bed next to the heater. He didn’t fare well in winter time, so he was happy to plop himself down in the vicinity of any and every source of the much needed heat. Inara followed and curled up beside him. He didn’t oppose.

The fact that Jupiter welcomed Inara so readily, even though he had left behind his puppy years long ago, went to show how special he was. Sam had read up everything he could on his dogs’ breeds, and he knew that Ridges were naturally friendly to other pets. Adult dogs, however, were still adults, which meant that it would typically take about three weeks for them and a puppy to have a somewhat friendly relationship.

“It seems Inara lucked out,” said Dean watching the dogs’ interactions as close as Sam was.

“Looks like it. This rascal…” – Sam said while roughhousing with Rosco – “… might take more time to get used to her though, but I know he eventually will. Won’t you, boy?”  The dog’s answer was a thorough lick to his face. Sam would take that as a ‘yes’.

 

The Winchester household was silent now, but for the soothing crackling of the logs in the fireplace. Christmas lunch had come and gone; only a few crumbs of Miss Patty’s pie left on Dean’s plate to show for it.

Clad in a thick bathrobe, feet warm in his new Manawan slippers, Dean was sitting half asleep in his favorite stuffed chair. He was stroking Jupiter’s ears while the dog chased rabbits in his dreams.

Sam’s feet were serving as pillows for Rosco’s tired head. The energetic dog had exhausted himself exploring and wreaking havoc in the snowed surroundings of the house, while Sam and Dean were getting the Christmas meal ready. Sam had called him in to join them for lunch and have a serving of his favorite treat, which he had munched on merrily in his bed. Exhaustion had caught up with him right after.

Inara was in Sam’s arms lazily playing with his finger. Her breathing was evening out, just about to slip into slumber too. As he was watching her fondly, Sam was caught by surprise by an overwhelming feeling of contentedness. He couldn’t believe how lucky he was. He had his brother with him, a lot of friends and people he cared about, and a cozy house full with dogs. His amazing dogs that would always fill his heart with love and happiness. All of a sudden, a beautiful dimpled smile that made his eyes sparkle broke across Sam's face. 

“Everything alright there, bro?” Dean asked sensing a shift in Sam’s mood.

“More than, Dean," Sam said, "more than.”

 

The End.

 [](http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g266/boykingsammy/secreta%20santa_dogs_polaroids_zpscpuil2fx.png~original)

[click to enlarge](http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g266/boykingsammy/secreta%20santa_dogs_polaroids_zpscpuil2fx.png~original)

**Author's Note:**

> Here you can find information and pictures of each of the breeds I used in this story:
> 
> Rosco – [Australian Cattle Dog](http://www.dog-learn.com/dog-breeds/australian-cattle-dog/)  
> Jupiter – [Rhodesian Ridgeback](http://www.dog-learn.com/dog-breeds/rhodesian-ridgeback/)  
> Inara – [Bernese Mountain Dog](http://www.dog-learn.com/dog-breeds/bernese-mountain-dog/)
> 
> Other visual aids: [Sam's sweater](http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g266/boykingsammy/secret%20santa_sweater_sam_zpsyoi89ym6.jpg~original) \- [Dean's sweater](http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g266/boykingsammy/secret%20santa_sweater_dean_zpsn69up5jh.jpg) \- [Dean's sleepers](http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g266/boykingsammy/secret%20santa_deans%20Manawan%20slippers_zpsi57vjxx5.jpg) \- [The house by the lake](http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g266/boykingsammy/small-lake-cottage-house-plans-small-beach-lake-house-lrg-63959dbc89491a82_zpszdbu3j1k.jpg)


End file.
